Advice on planning a trip Japan

[wolf xl]

Hi all I need some advice on planning a trip to Japan. The problem is I just dont know where to start. I live in the UK and the main high street travel agencies here dont have a clue. Some of the brouchers they showed me had package holidays in the region of

[chompy]

[QUOTE=wolf xl]Hi all I need some advice on planning a trip to Japan. The problem is I just dont know where to start. I live in the UK and the main high street travel agencies here dont have a clue. Some of the brouchers they showed me had package holidays in the region of

[crucif-X]

I went to Japan last summer with a couple of my friends for two weeks. Best two weeks of my life!! Sorry, but I can't really provide you with any really good advice regarding planning since the way we went about it was pretty ghetto haha. Originally, we were supposed to stay with my japanese friend who we used to go to high school with. Supposedly, he was living with his younger brother in an apartment in Tokyo. However, some time before we arrived he had already moved out of the apartment to his parents' place in Tochigi for training for the company his dad works for...little did we know :eek: .

Our trip is one long funny story, but to make things brief, when we arrived in japan around 3:30pm japan time, we were piss-in-your-pants surprised to find out that my friend that was supposed to meet and pick us up from the airport WAS NOT THERE TO PICK US UP! So, we spent a few hours at the airport trying to figure out what to do, learned how to use japanese payphones :p (tricky little buggers), and flirting with one of the girls working the cellphone-rental booths. Rented a cellphone and made our way to Tokyo. We arrived during the evening rush hour at Shinjuku and were supposed to transfer trains to go to Fuchuu. But overwhelmed and dumbfounded by the sheer number of people flowing through the corridors like a turbulent sea of bodies as well as the jawdropping number of HOT japanese girls passing by (literally, a hot girl walks by every 10 seconds :eek:...we timed it ;)) we took to a corner to take it all in for about an hour. We finally made it to Fuchuu around 10pm and knocked on the door to what we thought was my friend's old apartment....but...NO ANSWER! So we are on the sidewalk royally fux0rzed when we see someone pull up on a scooter and we go and ask him if he knows Kageyama (my friend's last name), and he points to himself and says "yes, I am Kageyama". Lo and behold it's my friend's younger brother, and as it turned out we had the wrong apartment complex, it was the one across from the one we were at. Talk about luck eh?

Anyway we only stayed at his bro's apt for 3 days till we could meet up with my friend, then we went to Tochigi and stayed at his parents' place for the weekend. After that we went back to Tokyo and hopped around sleeping at Internet Cafe's and Capsule Hotels in Shinjuku (I told you we did it ghetto style, but it was kind of fun and interesting experience in a way :D ). I don't think that your cup of tea though, and probably same for many others haha. I guess we are ghetto like that :p. Anyway, just to give you a rough estimate of how much I spent on my trip, I must have dropped about 1,000 US dollars for food, trains, lodging (capsule hotels mostly), and misc. One thing we should have done that we didn't know about was buy a JR railpass. We would have saved so much money on trains. It is a VERY good idea especially if you plan on going out to countryside or other places where you have to use the Shinkansen (bullet train), you'll save sooo much money.

As for places to hit, we stayed mostly in Tokyo but places you should go check out definitely Shinjuku (fun town! our home away from home and HOT girls :)), Shibuya (they have a really neat Tower Records and HOT girls), Harajuku (lots of clothes, crepes, and HOT girls), Suidoubashi (Tokyo Dome/amusementpark, Shounen Jump shop), Ginza (really expensive shops, I think Sony Center is here also) and if you know who hide is you should go to see hide MUSEUM in Yokosuka. They will be shutting it down in september :(. Anyway, sorry I couldn't be more helpful but here are some pics I took from our trip :D. Enjoy, and have a fun and safe trip! Don't forget to bring me back a nice japanese girlfriend (thinking Azusa Yamamoto would be nice :p :D ;) )

Here's what looks like in capsule hotel:
http://img208.echo.cx/img208/9122/cap01.th.jpg (http://img208.echo.cx/my.php?image=cap01.jpg)
Insert 200 yen for censored pr0n. So when you hear coins drop you know whats going down ;):
http://img136.echo.cx/img136/329/cap059mn.th.jpg (http://img136.echo.cx/my.php?image=cap059mn.jpg)
Lodging at Internet cafe......hah!:
http://img169.echo.cx/img169/5509/shin098nm.th.jpg (http://img169.echo.cx/my.php?image=shin098nm.jpg)


HOT girls + clothes + crepes = Harajuku
http://img208.echo.cx/img208/5536/hara01.th.jpg (http://img208.echo.cx/my.php?image=hara01.jpg)


Ginza:
http://img208.echo.cx/img208/8448/ginza08.th.jpg (http://img208.echo.cx/my.php?image=ginza08.jpg)
http://img208.echo.cx/img208/5640/ginza07.th.jpg (http://img208.echo.cx/my.php?image=ginza07.jpg)


Suidoubashi - Tokyo Dome City: This is the amusement park Shiki, Arc, and co. went to in Shingetsutan Tsukihime :D
http://img193.echo.cx/img193/7350/sui037np.th.jpg (http://img193.echo.cx/my.php?image=sui037np.jpg)
Jump Shop:
http://img193.echo.cx/img193/6548/sui063ay.th.jpg (http://img193.echo.cx/my.php?image=sui063ay.jpg)


hide MUSEUM:
http://img164.echo.cx/img164/107/yoko043cg.th.jpg (http://img164.echo.cx/my.php?image=yoko043cg.jpg)
http://img164.echo.cx/img164/7263/yoko061wg.th.jpg (http://img164.echo.cx/my.php?image=yoko061wg.jpg)

[wolf xl]

lol thanks for the reply. Sounds like you had a blast. I dont think I'll be doing the trip ghetto style but from what I hear tokyo is probably the only city in the world where it's safe enough to do that. Great picks by the way and thanks for the tip regarding the rail pass. Just one question for now, what airline did you go with and would you recommmend them? Cheers for the reply If I have any other specifics I'll know who to pm. :)

I think I'll pick up the Rough Guide to japan tomorrow to help me out.

[chompy]

lol thanks for the reply. Sounds like you had a blast. I dont think I'll be doing the trip ghetto style but from what I hear tokyo is probably the only city in the world where it's safe enough to do that. Great picks by the way and thanks for the tip regarding the rail pass. Just one question for now, what airline did you go with and would you recommmend them? Cheers for the reply If I have any other specifics I'll know who to pm. :)

I think I'll pick up the Rough Guide to japan tomorrow to help me out.

JAL is a good airline for both cost and comfort ^_^

left from Heathrow.

Lonely Planet Japan is better than Rough guide by alot, though it wouldn't hurt to get both ^^

peace.

[crucif-X]

I rode ANA (All Nippon Airways), and paid about $800 for economy class roundtrip at the time. I was very satisfied with the flight, and the service was excellent. They had a pretty decent selection of movies and you could even play Street Fighter II (among many other SNES games :D)). It's cool because the remote control turns into a controller when turned horizantally as show below :D

http://img58.echo.cx/img58/4741/ana012sa.th.jpg (http://img58.echo.cx/my.php?image=ana012sa.jpg)http://img58.echo.cx/img58/4395/ana029wf.th.jpg (http://img58.echo.cx/my.php?image=ana029wf.jpg)http://img58.echo.cx/img58/6379/ana038fc.th.jpg (http://img58.echo.cx/my.php?image=ana038fc.jpg)

[multigon]

crucif-X, just out of curiosity, how did you take showers\clean thyself? Do they have a public shower or something at the capsule hotels? I know they didn't have any at the internet cafe :p

My friend and I were thinking about just going there for two weeks and staying at youth hostels. Did you see any while you were there?

[crucif-X]

crucif-X, just out of curiosity, how did you take showers\clean thyself? Do they have a public shower or something at the capsule hotels? I know they didn't have any at the internet cafe :p

My friend and I were thinking about just going there for two weeks and staying at youth hostels. Did you see any while you were there?The capsule hotel had a small public bath. The few times we slept at the internet cafes we either went without a shower or the next day we stopped by this fitness center called KONAMI. The baths (public...of course) was pretty cool because there were various types of onsens(?), even a mini-rotenburo, and a green-tea onsen!! There were youth hostels in Shinjuku, and I don't know why we didn't go to one of them but we were happy with the capsule hotel since there was a cute girl working the front desk :)

[multigon]

Nice! I guess you have to do what you have to do! Thanks for the info.

[hyde69]

thats cool maybe ill visit japan soon. :)

[wolf xl]

Sleeping in the internet cafe does not look comfortable, i dont know how you managed. Those SNES remotes look cool though. I love my old snes and still dust itt off every now and then for a round of bomberman and mario kart :)

Can anyone give me tips about what to see and do around Shizuoka prefecture and Okinawa around August/September time?

[Krabjuice]

Two places that are great places to go:
Kyoto. The mountains are breathtaking, the people are nice, shopping is good enough, and you can go to plenty of temples.
Nara. Deer. Lots and lots of deer. Deer that will gore you, in a playful, cute way. Plus, there was this great Okonomiyaki place.

--Oh, and when I went, we ended up sleeping in the Osaka Airport on the benches o.O
Damn typhoons delayed our flight for over 15 hours, and we get there too late to get on a train. So, we stuck around for five hours.

[vtaka]

I totally agreen with you Krabjuice. Kyoto and Nara are the most popular site that junior high school student go as graduation trip. I've been there as the graduation trip too. They were nice place to see the old times Japan.
If you like the nature then go to Hokkaidou in summer. They have nice country side such as Tokachi or Sapporo.
If you want go to beautiful beach or the ocean then go to Okinawa. They have nice blue and clear ocean there.

[wolf xl]

Nara sounds intersting. I'll have too look into that :)

I've decided that I cant go to Okinawa due to time contraights. But keep up your sugestions on what to do and see in Honshu around September :)
I've heard that Mt. Fuji is closed to climbing in september, in that case apart from simply seeing Fuji is there anything else to do around the mountain?

[vtaka]

Mt Fuji is not that nice at the top. Since a lot of climber throw gabage and there is nothing up there. If you want to exercise then go there :)
Well there is a lot of theme park around Yamanashi(Province where Mt Fuji located), Shizuoka.
Fujikyu Hairando(Fijikyu High Land) which is the theme park in Yamanashi that has really high roller coaster. I believe it is around 72 meter high. I've never been there but this roller coaster is quite famous among Japanese.
Or just go to Disney Land or Universal studio. But be aware that it's pricy especially for Disney Land the free pass plus entrance fee cost near $100 US.
;)

[wolf xl]

I dont think I'll be going all the way over to Japan to see Micky Mouse when he's a short hop away over the channel :) I'm looking to experience the culture of Japan and theme parks ae not the kind of things I had in mind.

[vtaka]

Well if you like to visit samurai town, you can just visit Musashino Mura. I forgot the actual location but it's in Saitama. There are a lot of places to visit around Mt. Fuji. If you need more advice, just PM me and i will help you.

[grantakeru]

For airfare, I recommend going to an actual PHYSICAL travel agency, because they can mix and match to find you the best airfare possible. This is not possible online due to pre-arranged flights. Depending on when you go, you can get round-trip airfare for under $500, especially if you buy early, at least 4 weeks in advance, though a minimum of 6 weeks is preferred.

For two Japanese travel agencies (in America) that I recommend, go here:
- http://www.amnet-usa.com/ (I could have bought a 3-week round-trip ticket for $333, but anything beyond 3 weeks raises the price significantly because summer specials do not apply to such circumstances)
- http://www.iace-usa.com/ (my friend bought a 2-week round-trip ticket for $333 ($410 after tax), but BE SURE to go to an actual travel agency instead of purchasing online; it was a summer special designed for people returning to Japan to visit family, but selective selling is not allowed for such public merchants, so anyone can get it)

For travel agencies, you can also try:
- www.statravel.com (if you are a full-time student, you get discounts)
- http://www.statravel.com/statravel/travelstores/ts_index.aspx?MenuID=200 (use this to find physical STA travel agency near you)

As for touring tips (in general as well as specific regions):
- http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/ (while here, also be sure to check out the Welcome Cards section--'Guide to Japan' ==l> 'For the Budget Travelers'--which provide significant discounts to foreign travellers in certain areas, sometimes reducing admission prices to 10% of original)
- www.japan-guide.com (helpful in seeing what can be done in each area, though the above might be more specific but more complicated; also be sure to check out places around wherever you check, like Himeji is to the west of Kyoto and is a fine place to visit)
- http://www.japanvisitor.com/jt/jg.html (you should probably see this first to use as a preview for what can be done in major tourist areas)

For Kyoto:
- http://www.kyotoguide.com (very nice for seeing what Kyoto has to offer in terms of stores and events, but you may want to see japan-guide.com for more information on places to see, etc.)

Regarding the Japan Rail Pass:
- http://www.japanrailpass.net/ (info on JR Pass, rates, where it applies, etc.)
- http://grace.hyperdia.com/cgi-english/hyperd01.cgi (use this to calculate total train fares to see if you will save money by buying a JR pass)

As for accomodation, there are many options. For youth hostels (cheapest, relatively safe accomodation; usually $20-$40 a night):
- http://www.jyh.or.jp/ (Japan Youth Hostel organization, which gives you contact information for all associated youth hostels; you can make reservations directly with most hostels via fax or phone at your own expense)
- www.hihostels.com (can make reservations online through some of the hostels at the above site)
- http://www.hostels.com/jp.html (non-affiliated JYH youth hostels, but this site is good because it has customer reviews)
- www.hosteljapan.com/english/index.php (seems to be virtually the same as above or below)
- http://www.reservations.bookhostels.com/japan-guide.com/

Now for ryokans (traditional Japanese inns), which are a lot cheaper than hotels (usually $60 a night per person) but also tend to be very safe regardless of price, go here:
- http://www.jpinn.com (must make reservation by phone or fax)
- http://www.kimi-ryokan.jp/ (a specific one in Tokyo only; must make reservation by phone or fax)

For hotels in general (cheapest hotels seem to run $60 per night but these are not as good as ryokans), you can go here:
- http://www.tabiplaza.net/japanhotels/portal/control?action=POE01010 (can also search for ryokans)
- http://www.mytrip.net/en/index.html (this and above are recommended)
- http://www.xcessworld.com/
- http://www.asiarooms.com

Also be sure to get innoculation shots. When travelling to Japan, the only thing you may need vaccinations for are:
- Japanese encephalitis (takes a total of 3 shots over the course of one month)
- Influenza (when travelling between November and April)

You must be sure that you receive your booster shots for Tetanus and Diphtheria every 10 years. It is also wise to get a Hepatitis A vaccination shot, although Japan is not technically vulnerable to it while the rest of Asia is.

While in Japan, try to avoid morning and evening traffic:
- 7:30 AM - 9:30 AM
- 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

With all of these resources, you should be able to come up with an itinerary all by yourself. You should not rely on other people so much in general because that is just poor planning. You can and should, however, still ask for recommendations on what places to see. The japan-guide.com site, for example, has ratings for each place, which you can use to determine what things take priority over the rest.